Night wake-ups: what to do at three in the morning

First: waking in the night is normal

We wake several times a night, between cycles. Most of those awakenings are never remembered.

The problem is not waking up. It is not getting back to sleep.

The causes, by frequency

1. Open loops and anxiety. The mind starts up again. This is cause number one, and it is treated upstream, by the evening brain dump.

2. Alcohol. Typical waking at 3 or 4 am, as it is metabolised, when the sedative effect gives way to a stimulant one. Most common in people who drink regularly in the evening.

3. Nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Waking with a sense of hunger, a pounding heart, sometimes sweating. Common after an evening meal that was too light or too sugary, or after a prolonged fast. The fix: an evening meal containing protein and complex carbohydrates.

4. Temperature. Bedroom too warm, duvet too thick. A badly underestimated cause.